Publication

Article

Radio, Social Media and Language as an Agent in Conflict: A Case Study of Dandal Kura Radio International in the Lake Chad Basin

In: The Fabric of Peace in Africa: Looking beyond the State by Pamela Aall and Chester A. Crocker

David Smith and Stephanie Wolters

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01 January 2017

abstract

Countering violent extremism (CVE) is one of the hottest topics in the development business. In the Lake Chad basin, CVE is about defeating Boko Haram. What gets less attention, however, is why groups such as Boko Haram exist. Without addressing the root cause of the problem, attempts to bring stability and, ultimately, progress to the region are likely to be in vain. There is a homegrown remedy that is as old as the first settlements that were established in the Sahel — dialogue. Dialogue is a tool that is now used for almost every peacekeeping operation in Africa. Radio dramatically increased the footprint for spreading information, and the advent of the cellphone turned the ratio into an instrument for dialogue.